Monash signs MoU with the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons

Monash is proud to become the first Australian university to sign a Memorandum of Understanding with the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons (RACS) aimed at fostering a culture of respect between surgeons, medical students and junior doctors to ultimately improve patient safety.

Monash is proud to become the first Australian university to sign a Memorandum of Understanding with the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons (RACS) aimed at fostering a culture of respect between surgeons, medical students and junior doctors to ultimately improve patient safety.

Through this agreement, Monash medical educators and students will have access to the RACS newly developed Operating with Respect program and its supporting resources, complimenting Monash’s other initiatives in fostering safe and respectful learning environments for our medical students. During the meeting between Monash and the RACS, student leaders from the Monash University Medical Students’ Society (MUMUS) and the Monash University Surgical Interest Group (MUSIG) had the opportunity to discuss the program with Stephen Tobin, RACS’s Dean of Education.

Julien Nithianandan, president of Monash University Medical Students’ Society, acknowledged this meeting as an important step in addressing bullying, discrimination and sexual harassment in medicine. “MUMUS looks forward to working collaboratively to reform engrained behaviours and preconceived attitudes, thereby ensuring the safety and wellbeing of medical students and junior doctors, and ultimately, optimising patient care.”

Wendy Brown, Chair of the Monash Department of Surgery, explained that as a surgeon, operating with respect is “recognising the value of relationships with our patients and colleagues and ensuring we treat each and every one with dignity and care”. She commented: “It is exciting to see Monash University entering into an agreement with the RACS espousing these values of respect. By emphasising the importance of respect from the very first days of medical training we hope that the next generation of doctors will not only receive the necessary training to be excellent practitioners but understand the values that will make them true leaders of our profession.”